Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from London and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk.

Burnham welcomes Diane Abbott back to Labour

31 July 2026 9:45 pm

Andy Burnham has continued his warm embrace of Labour’s worst lefties by reinstating Diane Abbott to the parliamentary party. The…

Watch: Thousands of illegal migrants storm the border into Spain

31 July 2026 4:17 am

Ceuta is a small Spanish enclave. It would be very easy for the military to round-up everyone who has just…

Watch: French police sit back as small boats set sail

30 July 2026 3:16 am

This is jaw-dropping French Gendarmes admit today they have orders not to stop migrants – only talk to them –…

Trade unions boycott Labour women’s conference over trans ban

30 July 2026 1:46 am

Labour has once again descended into infighting because swathes of its members and trade union chums remain unable to comprehend…

Watch: French warship fires warning shots near Chris Philp in Channel

28 July 2026 9:53 pm

On the channel today monitoring illegal migrant crossings … as I was being interviewed by the BBC just now a…

Labour backbenchers restart welfare whinging

28 July 2026 9:06 pm

It’s day eight of Andy Burnham’s premiership and, bless him, he’s already facing a left-wing revolt. Labour backbenchers are up…

Labour MPs’ embarrassing Berlin response

28 July 2026 2:43 am

What is it about tragedy that brings out the worst in some people? After the horrifying attack on Berlin Pride,…

Europe minister suggests rejoining EU could be in next manifesto

27 July 2026 10:30 pm

It has only been a week since Andy Burnham’s big reshuffle and there are a fair few ministers still trying…

John Lewis gets behind Labour MP’s dildo campaign

25 July 2026 1:20 am

Just in case you were worried it had slipped off the agenda, Labour MP Samantha Niblett has confirmed that her…

Watch: Farage’s car crash heckler

24 July 2026 12:31 am

Usually the phrase ‘car crash interview’ is only a metaphor, referring to a politician after a terrible exchange. But now…

Badenoch on Shapps: The Tories are now a ‘very different party’

24 July 2026 12:28 am

“This is a new and different Conservative Party.” Sky’s @LucyJMcDaid asks Kemi Badenoch about reports former Conservative cabinet minister Sir…

Gary Lineker’s tax hypocrisy

23 July 2026 10:55 pm

The UK’s king of virtue signalling has served up another blinder. Gary Lineker has joined 119 fellow millionaires in signing…

Stella Creasy’s bird-brained parrot alert

23 July 2026 3:33 am

Walthamstow has anyone lost a parrot? There’s one in Lloyd park right now! Please share to help reunite it with…

Burnham’s policy blitz backfires

22 July 2026 9:04 pm

Oh dear. It is only day three of Andy Burnham’s premiership and his policy blitz is already descending into quite…

Civil service no-shows threaten Burnham’s northern vision

21 July 2026 9:25 pm

Andy Burnham has made moving civil servants oop North a key plank of his promise to revive prosperity across the…

Andy Burnham’s rough record on homelessness

21 July 2026 12:02 am

Taking a leaf out of Jeremy Corbyn’s playbook, Andy Burnham today used his first pledge as Prime Minister to promise…

The SDP makes a bid for Clacton

18 July 2026 12:59 am

William Clouston (@WilliamClouston), SDP, is standing to give the people of Clacton full and fair debate. ?@UKLabour won’t serve Clacton.@Conservatives…

Liz Truss brings CPAC to Britain – but not the crowds

17 July 2026 3:24 am

I’m not going to say that CPAC is dead… but it’s not the most alive… pic.twitter.com/IsRoUTenz0 — Anna Ridgway (@annaroseridgway)…

Sadiq Khan gains a gong

17 July 2026 2:30 am

Just when you thought you couldn’t dislike Sir Keir Starmer any more, he has gone and awarded Sir Sadiq Khan…

Starmer tells Argentina: hands off the Falklands

17 July 2026 12:56 am

Sir Keir Starmer has officially backed Spain to beat the Argies in Sunday’s World Cup final. A spokeswoman for the…

Watch: Sinn Féin MEP’s virtue-signalling stunt backfires

16 July 2026 3:41 am

pic.twitter.com/5Kmgar5vjJ — Matt Forde (@mattforde) July 15, 2026 Westminster is choc-a-bloc with MPs trying to outdo one another in nauseating…

Liam Halligan to run Thatcher’s think tank

15 July 2026 10:50 pm

What will Andy Burnham do in office? It is a question many Labour MPs would like answered. With Britain facing…

BBC publishes annual staff rich list

15 July 2026 2:44 am

Roll up, roll up – it’s that deeply depressing time of year once again. The BBC has today published its…

Ed Davey: Tory wets should join me

15 July 2026 2:03 am

Sir Ed Davey this afternoon issued an impassioned plea to Tory wets disillusioned with Kemi Badenoch: come home to the…

Barwell bemoans losing the Tory whip

14 July 2026 8:47 pm

Fresh from discovering that he has been booted out of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords, Gavin Barwell…